Freak accident shuts down EMC roadway

An 18-wheeler loaded with mulch flipped onto its side Thursday evening when part of an East Montgomery County road collapsed after the big rig apparently got too close to the edge.

The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Firetower Road between FM 1485 and SH 242 as the truck was southbound. The driver, a Cleveland resident, was uninjured.

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A Milstead heavy duty wrecker with bed rotation capability was able to lift the truck’s cab and upright it on the narrow road. The trailer load of mulch was then tipped over to lighten the load, before a second wrecker was placed at the rear of the trailer. The two wreckers were able to cradle the trailer between them and move it approximately 200 yards to a mulch yard, which was the truck’s intended destination.

The New Caney Fire Department, Montgomery County Hospital District, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety on the scene.

Pct. 4 Commissioner Ed Rinehart sent crews to the scene to evaluate the damaged roadway and put cones in place until repairs could be made.

A small amount of oil spilled and the owner of the truck cleaned it up prior to the road’s reopening, about two and a half hours after the truck tipped.